Lemon Tart with Orange Zest and Blackberries

Summer is the season when we always feel like eating refreshing food. Salads, cold soups, ice cream… Or why not something baked but cold with a nice fresh citrus touch – like this wonderful Lemon Tart with Orange Zest and Blackberries!

In fact that tart is semi-baked: only the crust is baked while the filling is no bake. And the very special thing about it is that it’s really, really simple. It is a combination of only 4 ingredients: condensed milk, lemon juice, grated white chocolate and orange zest. They are converted to a creamy texture thanks to a wonderful chemical reaction. But how does it happen, though?

Condensed milk + lemon juice – it is as simple as it sounds. I added also a pinch (or maybe two) of orange zest for additional citrus boost and some white chocolate for even creamier taste. But the main trick is just mixing well the condensed milk together with the sour lemon juice and then refrigerating the filling. The reason why it happens is a bit complicated in theory but there is a simple explanation: it works on the same principle as yogurt. We all know that when the milk ferments to yogurt it becomes thicker. Similar process happens when lemon juice is added to the condensed milk. Not that the filling tastes like yogurt: not at all. It tastes exactly like condensed milk with lemon juice: sweet and sour with a nice lemon flavour.

In fact the filling is not exactly thick – it is still creamy. Which means that you need to keep the pie cold in order to be able to serve the pieces in a good shape.

This is probably the easiest super tasty tart that you can make: you just need to bake the crust and when it cools down simply pour the prepared filling on top. Oh, and in case you prefer individual tarts or tartlets, that recipe would work pretty good with them as well – just decrease the baking time of the crusts to only 10-15 minutes.

And what about the blueberries? Well, as it is summer I though the best would be to serve them fresh. And I wasn’t wrong: their sweet and sour taste is simultaneously contrasting and matching the sweet and sour taste of the lemon filling. It is a nice symphony of flavours which will certainly leave you refreshed. To avoid extra sweetness I didn’t sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the fruits but you can do it if you like your desserts sweeter. I preferred to use powdered orange zest: a bio product I found in one shop. It was supposed to make the food smell like orange but I didn’t find its taste very strong. On the other hand the fantastic golden-orange colour that it left on the blackberries looks really pleasing.

Surely this Lemon Tart with Orange Zest and Blackberries will bring you a very nice and flavourful experience! You can bake it for any summer event or just for your own pleasure at home. It is a simple and delicious dessert suitable for any occasion.